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Antibiotic resistance: the ‘other’ pandemic lurking behind COVID-19

12th May 2020

Antibiotic resistance is a slow-motion pandemic – whose speed will increase because of COVID-19. A concentrated global effort is now needed to ensure it is addressed with the same urgency that’s likely to bring us a COVID-19 vaccine in the months ahead...

“The COVID-19 pandemic has placed unforeseen pressures on global health care systems as they quickly try to adapt to the massive influx of patients who require critical care. However, the global response to identifying therapeutic solutions that will help tackle the virus is a lesson in cooperation and a testament to what can be achieved when borders change from barriers to bridges. Examples of this include thenumerous parallel vaccine trials underway, maximizing the probability of success andgovernments pledging billionsto the World Health Organisation in an effort to halt the pandemic.

As has been seen with COVID-19, the earlier the threat is acknowledged and a robust response implemented, the more lives are saved. This holds true for the antibiotic resistance crisis also. Once this current viral pandemic has abated, the development of new antibiotics needs to treated with the same level of urgency as the development of a COVID-19 vaccine has been. This will require a unified global effort, industry incentivisation and large-scale funding akin to what is being seen in the search for COVID-19 therapeutics. This concentrated global effort is – now more than ever – critical to treat the multidrug resistant pathogens that are spreading through our healthcare infrastructure.”